GhostSurf 2007 Platinum

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Editors' Review

Ghostsurf Platinum offers a solid suite designed to address several aspects of online security. The Privacy Control Center does a decent job of setting your security level, enabling you to block cookies, hide IP addresses, and encrypt all transferred data. The antispyware module, Spycatcher, lets you schedule and run spyware scans and remove malicious components fairly effectively, though we noticed a few false positives in our tests. You can create a password in the Personal Data Vault to keep files, documents, and passwords safe from prying eyes. The Adarmor component customizes the advertising content displayed on Web pages and automatically blocks pop-up ads. The final component of the suite, Trackscleaner, automatically detects and deletes browser histories and the cache quickly.

We like being able to take care of most aspects of Web surfing security from one app. The interface is clean and intuitive. Each component is easily accessible and quick summaries of each inform us about what we're getting before launching. One concern is that setting the Privacy Control Center to its highest level made it impossible to get to some of our favorite sites, but in most cases surfing was not affected. Overall, we found this suite a solid defense against several types of intruders. Though each component may have better alternatives, this suite is a solid choice for those who want to ensure a secure Web surfing environment with the convenience of one program.

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Publisher's Description

GhostSurf Platinum makes you invisible on the Internet and ensures a secure surfing experience. GhostSurf enables even novice PC users to erase all traces of their online activity, encrypt their Internet connection and remove aggressive spyware automatically. Additional features provide a secure location to store confidential files and eliminate online ads. GhostSurf routes your surfing through proprietary anonymous hubs and lets you see every piece of data your computer emits over the Internet. It even erases your Web history, cache, clipboard, cookies and more using Dept. of Defense standards for data destruction. The SpyCatcher component employs a multi-pronged method for spyware detection to provide the most advanced spyware protection available. GhostMyMail stops spam and protects your online identity. In just seconds you can create anonymous email addresses to send and receive messages freely while hiding your identity from the outside world. Shop, surf, and chat on the Internet without worrying about your inbox being flooded with unwanted email, wasting your time and increasing your risk of falling victim to scams and viruses.

When it ran it ran like a top most times in a clean computer, It still has the ability to strip ads and personal information out of my browser had spyware detector too!

Cons

When your computor gets clogged up over time this app would fail and I would need to reinstall it all over again.The proxies are down I think the company may have went under have'nt been able to use em in a while.

Summary

I hope another company buys them and gets the proxies back up. This company was king back in the day so much so word is the government cracked down on em and told em you guys are too damn good!

After that things slowly slid down hill.

I cannot find an app that even comes close to what this app used to do and so I am looking for one that will run through it as a proxy and found 1 (Surf Anonymous Free) but they are stingy with their test time. In the meantime I can keep this and strip ads and personal information away the web as I surf.

They even sold an email that you could send and recieve anonymously too! But those days are long gone, Nice folks too!Sad to see em go :(

Installed first on my desktop. Problems right out of the gate! Installed it on my notebook, same results! Whether the program engage automatically or manually, it still does not work! To make certain that it's not user error, I set my hope page to whatismyipaddress.com And with GhostSurf, actually it should be called GhoseCrap engaged, my IP address never changed! Caused errors on Photobucket, Youtube, and eBay. Just to name a few. I actually paid retail for this program. So I feel it's my civic duty to warn anyone and everyone considering downloading this program onto your PC, DONT! You will regret doing it. And your blood pressure and stress level will rise. PLEASE stay away from this download and software. As far as Customer Supoort.... What Customer Support? There is NONE! $40.00 DOWN THE DRAIN!

Everytime I load this program it does make me anonymous. Verified by " Still Listeners" I do not always use all the features ie: Ad Armor ( Memory Conflict )

Cons

Not exactly in tune with WIN 7. Tech support says a version is coming. Cannot read Hotmail unless I unload the program from memory. Even after adding it as a safe program.

Summary

This proxy comes out of Houston so all the checkers tell me. It does switch to the proxy when in the secure mode and gets an A rating. Not all of any web page is always loaded because it wants that cookie and GS hands out a "false" which is a good thing. Thinking more proxies besides 1 is smarter. A WIN 7 compatable version may be a plus although I can run the proxy but not AdArmor. The concept here is good but would like to see the improvements.

Once you learn the system, it is easy to use. I tried the 5.5 version on trial for 15 days, before buying. They do offer a 30 day money back warranty.

Cons

Info on the website has changed recently. They don't advertise SSL tunneling anymore, a major concern. Advertisement prevention has to be turned off to surf, most sites won't open as it blocks more than ads.

Summary

I tried 5.5 on a different computer (Win XP Pro, SP3, 32 bit) and had a similar experience as many others. They quickly gave me a refund.
I tried it on another computer and it works well. (Win XP, Media)

I am a little concerned about the actual security from snoops. They advertise that my data is "encrypted" but then put in the caveat that my ISP can track me to their proxy server....huh? If the ISP can, so can anyone else. Most proxy software sites advertise VPN tunneling.

I used Tor and *** and tried a few other vpns and they were slow. GhostSurf seems fast once you figure it out. I haven't had a single issue with it.

Cons

The ad program that no matter what you do except deleting it from the program folder is annoying. The menu options reset themselves if you aren't careful. That's annoying, too. Always check your ip before you do whatever it is you're doing.

Summary

I like what the program offers and the GUI is nice. It has bugs, but if they fix them, it'd be well worth it to use. For free. I would never pay for it as long as programs like the Tor browser bundles are out there for free. lol I haven't tried to uninstall it yet, but how hard could it really be? Add/remove programs, , manually clean the registry.

I'm unable to remove this from my system, as it has slowed my internet connectivity down and I keep getting connection error messages. Occasionally, I throw my money away on some piece of garbage software. This is definitely one of those times. I would like to give the developer one of those Three Stooges eye-pokes!

On restarting my PC, it froze during the boot process. Again & again. Finally got PC to start but no programs would run. Rebooted in Safe mode, removed one part of the programme. Still no good. After an hour+, used safe mode and did a system restore.

Summary

If you want to lose an hour or so of your life on this rubbish, go right ahead. Otherwise, don't touch it with a 90 ft bargepole.

Updated on Oct 20, 2009

Please note that the three people who troubled to review this junk gave it ONE star. So who's coming along and clicking willy-nilly to give it higher ratings? Could it ber a favorite lunchtime activity at the manufacturer? I'm sure that can't be the case. Aren't you?

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